Poems

Blues on Yellow

The canary died in the gold mine, her dreams got lost in the sieve.The canary died in the gold mine, her dreams got lost in the sieve.Her husband the crow killed under the railroad, the spokes hath shorn his wings.

Do not be afraid to perish, my mother, Buddha’s compassion is nigh.Do not be afraid to perish, my mother, our boat will sail tonight.Your babies will reach the promised land, the stars will be their guide.

I am so mellow yellow, mellow yellow, Buddha sings in my veins.I am so mellow yellow, mellow yellow, Buddha sings in my veins.O take me to the land of the unreborn, there’s no life on earth without pain.

More by Marilyn Chin

One child has brown eyes, one has blue
One slanted, another rounded
One so nearsighted he squints internal
One had her extra epicanthic folds removed
One downcast, one couldn't be bothered
One roams the heavens for a perfect answer
One transfixed like a dead doe, a convex mirror
One shines double-edged like a poisoned dagger
Understand their vision, understand their blindness
Understand their vacuity, understand their mirth

Yellow gold is meaningless
Learning is better than pearls
A woman without brilliance
Leaves nothing but dim children
You can hawk your gold if you’re hungry
Sell your mule when you’re desperate
What can you do with so many poems
Sprouting dead hairs in an empty coffin
*
Lotus: pink dewlapped pretty
Lotus: upturned palm of my dead mother
Lotus: a foot a broken arch
Lotus: plop and a silent ripple
*
I hum and stroll
And contemplate a poem
While young boys are dying
In West Darfur
I hum and stroll
And contemplate a poem
While young boys are dying
In West Darfur